Knotter



Nov. 11, 1941. r M. N. NQLING KNOTTER Filed Dec. 30, 1958 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 11, 1941 KNOTTER Martin N. Noling, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Barher-Colman Company, Rockford, IlL, a corporation of Illinois Application December 30, 1938, Serial No. 248,476

7 Claims.

tent which permits eifective' gripping of the. smaller strand or thread as well.

Rayon or silk strands are so hard and unyielding, on the other hand, that if one of a pair of strands is somewhat larger than the other, the blades-of a tying bill will be forced apart by the larger strand to such an extent that the smaller strand is likely to slip between the blades and spoil the knot.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved form of knotter mechanism that will effectively and firmly grip andv knot together plural strands of even such hard and unyielding materials as silk or rayon.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a knotter of the character described a novel form of rotatable tying bill presenting a plurality of separately movable blades for firmly engaging strands interlaced therebetween, but which utilizes a minimum number of parts'and in particular requires no separator or partition between adjacent blades.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved knotter of the character described embodying a tying bill with a plurality of movable blades including not only a shearing blade but also a separate and movable clamping blade, together with means for effecting a sequential and relatively timed actuation of such blades.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the portion of a warp-uniting machine provided with a knotter embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of the knotter included in the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the knotter with its barrel or body portion shown in vertical section along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view along the line 44 in Fig. 3, while Figs. 4 and 4 are similar stop motion views showing the blade positions prior to their final closed position ofFig.4.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the knotter and its associated supporting structure.

Knotters of'thegeneral type herein contemplated may be used in a variety of different textile mill machines or devices. The mechanism has, simply for purposes of illustration, been shown herein as embodied in a warp-uniting machine, but it may also be used in any other ma-: chine where a thread knotteris required as well as in hand knotter implements of the general type disclosed in the Howard D. Colman Patent No. 672,636, issued April 23,. 1901. For'a more detailed description of the general typeof warpuniting machine in which the inventionis herein illustrated, reference may be had to Howard Di Colman Patent No. 1,442,776, issued January 16, 1923. v

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the invention has. been shown as embodied in a knotter, designated generally by the numeral l0, included in a warp-tying machine, only a portion of which is illustrated. Before taking up a detailed consideration of the knotter itself the general. character of the associated parts of the machinevwill be pointed out in order that the function of the knotter in the machine as a Whole may be understood. The warp-uniting machine shown is adapted to tie together corresponding threads from two sheets'of warp threads A and B. One of these sheets of warp threads may, for example, be the old warp threads in a, loom and. the. other sheets the ends from threadson a new warp beam which is to be placed in the loom. The two sheets of warp threads are held at their 'right hand ends (as viewed in Fig. 1) by corresponding clamps H and I2. A similar pair of -clamps (not shown) is provided at the'oth'er side of the machine. A reciprocatingslide l3, on the machine, is inserted between the sheets of warp threads. A suitable selector mechanism (not shown) is provided and by means of which successive threads are separated from the sheets of warp threads, seized and thrust in pairs'into a pair of generally fork-shaped thread guides l4 and i5.

In advancing the selected pair'of threads to the knotter l0, shoulders l3 (one shown in Fig. 1) on the slide l3 engage the threads and push them forward. A block 13 clamps the threads against an initially advanced bar i3, which bar is retracted in timed relation with the slide advance to hold the threads clamped. The thread guide I5 has a barb 16 on the slide l3 also thereon which prevents the threads from snapping back out of engagement with it after once being thrust therein, while at the other side of the machine the threads are clamped not only by the reciprocating clamp bar |3 but are also held in the throat of the thread guide l4 by a clamp finger This finger is pivoted at and is rocked into thread engaging position by a cam actuated arm I'I While in the guides |4|5, the pair of threads a are engaged by the knotter I and the two threads tied together and sheared off in the knotter at approximately the point indicated by the numeral |8 (Fig. l). The knotted portion of the threads is stripped from the knotter by a rotating stripper hook l9 (Figs. 1 and which engages the threads a and pulls them down between a pair of spaced parallel plates 202| to strip them from the knotter.

The portion of the threads to the left of the knotter I8 is simply a waste end, and this waste end material is sheared from an adjacent clamp by a pair of shear blades arranged for that purpose (not shown), the waste ends then being thrust into a receptacle 22 by a suitable reciprocating plunger. This operation is repeated and continued for successive pairs of threads and with a high degree of rapidity. The warp-uniting or warp-tying machine may be driven by a hand crank or a small electric motor, as desired.

Turning now to a consideration of the knotter.

mechanism l0, it will be seen upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3 that in the particular embodiment shown it includes a rotatable tying bill 23 on the end of a rotatable knotter shaft 24. This knotter shaft is provided with a skew pinion 25 meshing with a gear 26 (Fig. 5) driven by any suitable power actuating means through the medium of gearing 26 and in timed relation with the reciprocating carriage l3 of the warp-uniting machine. The knotter shaft 24 is journaled within a barrel or block 21 mounted on the machine frame. i

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the knot tying bill 23- is provided with at least three blades, two of which act as relatively movable clamping blades while the third acts as a shear blade relatively movable with respect to the knotter shaft 24. In the present instance one fixed outer clamping blade 28 is formed by an integral lateral extension on the knotter shafts 24 (Figs. 2 and 4). A second inner, movable clamping blade 29 is generally L- shaped and is fashioned to provide flat side faces. It is pivoted in face-to-face contact with a fiattened inner side face on the fixed blade 28 by pivot pin 30. A third blade 3| is also formed with flat side faces and is L-shaped' in configuration, being carried by the pivot pin 39 in face to-face relation with the outer side of the clamping blade 29. Both of the pivotally mounted blades 29 and 3| are pressed against the adjacent fixed blade 28 by a fiat resilient bill spring 32, which hasits upper edge sharpened so as to form an outer shear blade. The bill spring is of L-shape and is fixed on the knotter shaft 24 by a sleeve clip'33 (Fig. 3). Upon reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the lower edge of the clamping blade 29 is slightly rounded so that when a thread is interposed between the blades 29 and 28 it will be pressed down and clamped therebetween Without being sheared, while on the other hand the lower edge of the blade 3| is sharpened so that it will shear off a thread or threads interposed between it and the bill spring 32.

In performing its knot-tying operation, the tying bill 23 starts from a position displaced approximately in a clockwise direction from that shown in Fig. 1 and makes two complete revolutions (in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l) for each knot tied. The bill 23 begins its rotation, from the initial position noted, while the clamping finger I! is being moved into clamping position. By the time the bill has rotated 90 (to about the position shown) the threads a are pressed against the forward side of the knotter shaft. The tip of the bill, with its blades closed thus passes beneath the portion of the threads to the right of the knotter shaft (as viewed in Fig. 1) so that during subsequent bill rotation the threads are wound about the tying bill in a complete loop as a preliminary to forming a round knot in the threads. During the next of bill rotation from the position shown the blades 29 and 3| of the knotter bill 23 open so as to receive the left hand portions of threads between them and the fixed blade 28 and bill spring 32. During rotation through the next 180 (after the 180 just noted) the blades close to grip and shear the threads, and the stripper l9 pulls the loop from the tying bill, the loop being slipped over the sheared and gripped ends of the threads so as to complete the knot and draw it tight. Finally the sheared ends are pulled from the tying bill by continued motion of the stripper. The remaining rotation of the tying bill simply completes its second full revolution to relocate it in starting position.

Two-bladed knotters of this general type for tying a round knot in a pair of threads are well known in the art. In prior two-bladed knotters of this general form, such as is shown for example in said Colman Patent No. 672,636, it has been the practice to provide a single pair of blades in the tying bill which serve the dual function of shearing and gripping the threads. As was previously noted, however, difficulty has been encountered in using such two bladed tying bill knotters on threads of rayon and silk due to the difiiculty in properly gripping such threads. The three-bladed bill construction herein shown effectively overcomes this difficulty, however, since it insures a strong gripping action even on such hard and unyielding strands as silk or rayon.

The movable blades 29 and 3| of the tying bill 23 are pivoted from their closed position (shown in Fig. 3), in which they are transversely alined with the fixed blade 28, to open position and then back to closed position in timed relation with the rotation of the knotter shaft 24. Furthermore it is desirable that this opening and closing movement of the blades 29 and 3| be sequential. By first closing the clamping blade 29 and thereafter the shearing blade 3|, it is possible for the tying bill to get a firm grip on the threads 0. before they are sheared. Consequently when the blades are operated in thissequential fashion, it is unnecessary to provide an additional fixed blade or partition between the movable blades 29 and 3| such as might otherwise be necessary in order to maintain a sufficiently strong grip on the threads if the shearing and gripping took place substantially simultaneously. In other words if the blades 29 and 3| were closed simultaneously it might be necessary to place a fixed blade between them so as to insure a strong grip by the blade 29 toprevent the threads snapping away as they weresheared. By closing the blade 29 first, however, the clamping is complete and firm before the shearing takes place so that a single pair of clamping blades (28 and 29) is sufficient.

In order to actuate the movable blades 29 and 3| in the equential manner described above, cam enlargements 29 and 3N (Fig. 3) are formed on the respective butt-end portions of these'blades. These cam enlargements are disposed within generally heart-shaped cam openings 29 and 3l fashioned in the stationary structure which surrounds the rotating knotter shaft 24. In particular, the cam openings 29" and 3! have been shown herein as fashioned in a pair of plates 34 and 35 respectively screwed to the end of the barrel 21. These cam openings are displaced axially from each other along the knotter shaft 24, which projects through them, and are offset angularly with respect to each other (Fig. 2). This angular offset in the cam openings effects the desired sequential closing movement of the pivoted blades 29 and 3|.

From the foregoing, the general operation of the apparatus will be apparent. In brief, each successive pair of threads a, located in the thread guides I l-I5, is pressed against the outer sideabout the base portion of the bill due to its rotation.. After approximately 270 of rotation of the tying bill from its initial position the blades 3| and 29 are both open (Fig. 4 so that the portion of the threads 0. on the left of the tying bill (as viewed in Fig. 1) lodges between the open blades and the fixed blade 28 (Fig. 4 In the next 180 of rotation of the tying bill the clamping blade 29 first closes (Fig. 4 so that the threads at are looped downwardly between the bill spring 32 and fixed blade 23, and clamped between the blade 29 and the adjacent face of the fixed blade 28. It will thus be seen upon reference to Fig. 4* that the top portions of the blade 28 and spring 32 constitute spaced bearing members receiving the thread strands which span the opening between these bearing members and with the bearing member or spring 32 fashioned to present a sharp shearing edge. It will further be seen that the movable blade 29 enters the space between these bearing members and pushes the threads downward in loop form between them and clamps it in place. Upon the completion of this clamping closure of the blade 29 (and during the same interval of bill rotation noted) the hearing blade 3| closes so as to shear off the threads by coaction with the bill spring 32, which has a sharpened upper edge (Fig. 4) Even after this shearing operation the blades 2829 retain a firm grip on the threads in addition to the gripping action between the blades 3| and 29. Consequently, the thread ends are securely and effectively gripped by the tying bill.

At about the end of a complete revolution of the tying bill the stripper hook I9 engages the portions of the threads a on the right hand side of the tying bill (as viewed in Fig. 1) and pulls the threads down between the plates 29-2l. In this way the thread loop about the bill 23 is pulled from th bill and in effect the sheared ends of the threa d are drawn through the loop.

Continued motion of the stripper bill [9 draws the knot tight (Fig. 1). Finally, at the end of about one and three-eighths revolutions of the bill, the stripper pulls the ends of the knotted threads free of the bill. of the threads the bill continues on to its initial position. In fact the bill rotates continuously and a fresh pair of threads is presented to it for tying during every other revolution.

Although a particular embodiment of the in vention has been shown and described in some detail for purposes of illustration there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to such embodiment, but on the other hand the appended claims are intended to cover all-modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a knotter the combination with a rotatable tying bill comprising at least three blades mounted for relative pivotal movement from open position to a transversely alined closed position, the intermediate blade of the three having a rounded clamping edge thereon, and one outer blade having a sharpened shearing edge thereon, of means for effecting relative pivotal movement between said blades to bring said last two named blades sequentially into closed position with respect to the third blade with the clamping blade closing first and then the shearing blade.

2. A knotter comprising, in combination, a rotatable knotter shaft having a fixed blade projecting laterally therefrom, a pair of movable blades disposed face to face and along said fixed blade, said movable blades being pivoted on said fixed blade adjacent the axis of rotation of said shaft, said movable blades each being pivotal to an open position in which the outer ends thereof are swung away from said fixed blade, and means for shifting said movable blades from opened to closed position in sequence and in timed relation with the rotation of said shaft.

3. A knotter comprising, in combination, a hollow nonrotatable cam barrel presenting two generally heart-shaped cam openings therein displaced from each other axially of the barrel, a rotatable knotter shaft projecting through said openings and having a laterally projecting fixed blade extending from the outer end thereof, a pair of generally flat movabl blades arranged face to face and pivoted on one side of said fixed blade, a bill spring on the outer side of said pair of movable blades for yieldably pressing the same against said fixed blade, and each of said movable blades having a cam enlargement thereon projecting axially of said shaft with one enlargement located within one of said cam openings and the other disposed within the other opening, said cam openings being angularly offset with respect to each other about the axis of said shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft will cause a sequential actuation of said movable blades by said cam enlargements engaging with the walls of the corresponding cam openings.

4. A knotter comprising, in combination, a rotatable knotter shaft, a tying bill on said shaft embodying a fixed blade as well as a shear blade and a clamp blade pivoted thereon, said fixed blade presenting a fiat side face, said clamp blade presenting opposite fiat side faces with one contacting said face of said fixed blade, said shear blade presenting a flat side face contacting the opposite side face of said clamp blade, said clamp and shear blades being pivotal into and out of After being thus freed a superposed closed position with respect to said fixed blade, and means for actuating said clamp and shear blades sequentially and in the order named from open position to closed position in timed relation with the rotation of said knotter shaft. I

5. A knotter comprising, in combination, a rotary tying bill having relatively stationary clamping and shearing blades spaced apart laterally and two movable blades intermediate the two stationary blades, and. means associated with said movable blades and moving the same successively from open'position to closedposition between the fixed blades, one of said movable blades in its movement coacting with the fixed clamping blade to grip and hold the thread and the other movable blade in its movement coacting with the fixed shearing blade to shear the thread.

6. A knotter comprising, in combination, a rotary tying bill having two members spaced apart laterally, one of said members having a clamping face, and the other a shearing edge, and a pair of blades mounted for movement between said members, means associated with the tying bill and rotating the same, and means operating in one portion of the rotational movement of the bill to actuate one of said blades relative to the clamping face of said one member to clamp a thread against it, and in another portion of said movement to actuate the other one of said movable blades relative to the shearing edge of the other member to shear the thread, said members being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the combined thickness of the two movable blades.

7. A knotter having, in combination, a rotary tying bill having a fixed blade, and at least two movable blades supported for movement relative to the fixed blade in a direction parallel thereto, said movable blades being disposed side by side and on one side of said fixed blade, means associated with the bill rotating the same, and means operating in different portions of such rotational movement of the bill to move said movable blades successively relative to each other and toward the fixed blade, one of said movable blades constituting a clamping element and the other a shearing element.

MARTIN N. NOLING. 

